# Is "The Menace from Earth" by Robert A. Heinlein a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Menace from Earth by Robert A. Heinlein (Gnome Press, 1959) is identified by: Gnome Press first; story collection of eight stories. US Gnome Press first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Gnome Press first; story collection of eight stories
- Bound in black cloth with spine stamped in silver and gold; yellow endpapers. 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page
- Point of issue: the first-issue dust jacket is UNPRICED on the front flap (no price printed there); the rear panel lists other Gnome Press science-fiction titles with their prices
- Publisher imprint reads Gnome Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Robert A. Heinlein |
| Publisher | Gnome Press |
| Year | 1959 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Gnome Press first; story collection of eight stories |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Gnome Press first; story collection of eight stories. Bound in black cloth with spine stamped in silver and gold; yellow endpapers. 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page. Point of issue: the first-issue dust jacket is UNPRICED on the front flap (no price printed there); the rear panel lists other Gnome Press science-fiction titles with their prices.

## Is this the true first?
US Gnome Press first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition under the Gnome imprint; reprints lack the Gnome Press imprint.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Menace from Earth* by Robert A. Heinlein a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-menace-from-earth
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.